'TIL DEATH DO US PART is a romantic suspense novel with a comedic edge and moments of shameless erotica. It is the story of two soulmates, who meet on the opposite sides of the desk in the high-stakes world of extreme publishing--and fall in love.

I envision 'TIL DEATH DO US PART as the first of a series with a story arc spanning decades that can be summed up in three words 'happily ever after.'

It seems to me that these public proposals are a technique of force, an attempt to make sure the woman doesn't feel capable of refusing because of the pressure of the crowd. I'd never do that to anyone.

I don't think it's a given that this is some sort of emotional blackmail or browbeating. I didn't do anything like this to my wife--for one thing, those Disney proposals cost many thousands of dollars--but if I had, she would have totally eaten it up.

It's not blackmail if you pretty much already know the answer, and if you're proposing to somebody who will enjoy the specific elements of your proposal--in this case, Disney and musicals--and if you're proposing to somebody who enjoys being in the spotlight. My wife and I had talked informally about a future together long before I proposed, we're both amateur singers with a ton of community theatre credits between us, and we were actually married at Disney World. So if I'd done something like this, I know she would have loved it.

I think a lot of guys feel pressure to make their proposal "special" and "memorable". And any woman who's helped put that pressure on the guy only gets what she deserves if he makes a spectacle of their engagement.

But I think what most women think is really special is sincerity and intimacy.

Lisa--that's pretty much what I was thinking. But my gaydar's been WAY off lately. Got me in trouble at a party last weekend--I had NO idea I was flirting. I thought I was just chatting with a nice gay man. My friend had to rescue me and the Rally Monkey laughed his head off (ever a true gentleman). Sigh.

I feel I should clarify (after rereading my post). I know that this was obviously staged even if it was a real engagement. But you know how at Disneyland the clean-up crew turn into drummers and the trash cans talk? I bet these two lovebirds were Disneyland cast members and this was just a show to *delight* the audience and be a promo for Disneyland engagements. That's what I think.

I bet it was real . . . and staged with the help of Disney Fairy Tale Weddings, or whatever they're calling it these days. I practically live inside Disney World, and have known people whose job it was to orchestrate things like this. It's really not that unbelievable that there might be a couple that into Disney, where the guy can sing and dance a bit, and still be straight.

Honestly, I can probably think of at least three couples I know, from my theatre days, that fit that bill.

LOL. Moonrat, our engagement came out of necessity (we found out we'd have to move to Mexico and wanted to get married first) so we bought the ring without an official proposal.

We were already living together so on the way home I gave him the ring, told him I still wanted him to propose, and that he could do it whenever he wanted. Then I went to the bathroom (as I often do after driving all evening) and he followed me in.

When he asked me, I said "you realize this is what I'm going to tell people now, right?" He didn't believe me, silly man.

My wife and I write notes to each other in the bathroom mirror. You can write/read them when the mirror fogs. So I proposed to her in the mirror and she answered me the same way. Meant taking showers in order to do it. Also meant I wrote it one day and she read it and wrote her reply the next.

That mirror is in the back of the closet now, waiting for us to figure out how to preserve it (if we can).

Lol you'd say no? After all that performance? Liar. No woman would say no. I mean, I'd never do that to a girl to be honest, but you want to end up on Youtube as the chick who said no to the guy would proposed to you in Disney Land after dancing and singing? Hahahaha! The shame alone will force that yes out of your mouth!